Video: Applying EQ

Equalizers or EQ's are used to boost or cut selected frequencies within a signal. In this video, I'm going to show you how to apply an EQ to an audio track as well as demonstrate some of the more radical EQ plug-ins in Pro Tools. There are several reasons to apply EQ. To improve the tone quality or the timbre of an instrument or voice, to create a special effect like a telephone vocal sound, to help a track stand out in the mix, to fix mic choice and placement problems like frequency problem, likeage or noise issues, to make up for inadequacy in the recording equipment, to create a better blend of instruments, and to improve the overall sound of the mix if you applying the EQ to the master output.

Pro Tools 8 Essential Training unveils the inner workings of the industry-standard software for music and post-production. Musician, producer, and educator David Franz demonstrates all the concepts and techniques necessary for recording, editing, mixing, and mastering in Pro Tools 8. He teaches how to create music with virtual instruments and plug-ins, edit with elastic audio for time and pitch manipulation, create a musical score, and mix with effects loops. This course can help any music producer, sound engineer, or hobbyist become proficient in Pro Tools 8. Exercise files accompany the course.

Applying EQ

Equalizers or EQ's are used to boost or cut selected frequencies within asignal. In this video, I'm going to show you how to apply an EQ to an audiotrack as well as demonstrate some of the more radical EQ plug-ins in Pro Tools.There are several reasons to apply EQ. To improve the tone quality or thetimbre of an instrument or voice, to create a special effect like a telephonevocal sound, to help a track stand out in the mix, to fix mic choice andplacement problems like frequency problem, likeage or noise issues, to make upfor inadequacy in the recording equipment, to create a better blend ofinstruments, and to improve the overall sound of the mix if you applying the EQto the master output.

Most home and car stereos have some form of equalizers. Even the simplest bassand treble controls are equalizers. There purpose is the same as the EQplug-ins you use to mix in Pro Tools. However, our Pro Tools EQ plug-ins aremore advanced and give us more control over the EQ parameters allowing us toalter specific and controllable frequency ranges. Let me show you how to apply EQ.We will start with a Digidesign stock 7-Band EQ. This EQ is a parametric EQwhich enables us to control three parameters, the central frequency abbreviatedhere just as FREQ, the boost or cut which is the Gain, and the width of theaffected frequency range or Q. The central frequency is the frequency that youwant to adjust, so if I grab this knob and move it, you will see that thecentral frequency is moving here, this orange dot. For example, say you want toreduce the low-end muddy frequencies on an acoustic guitar. In that case, I'lldial this over to about 300 Hz because that's where mud likes to live in a mix.

The Gain is the amount of increase or decrease an amplitude that you want toapply to the central frequency. So, if I boost this, you will see the curverise, and if I decrease it, you will see it go down. If you want a slightreduction in the guitar parts mud, I would cut it by 1-3 dB. For more drastic change cut 6-9 dB.The third parameter, Q, is the width of the boost or cut region around thecentral frequency. So, as you see as I turn this knob, the width changes.

A higher Q value yields narrow widths for affecting a smaller range offrequencies, while a low Q provides expanded widths to encompass a larger rangeof frequencies. And let's hear what this sounds like. So, we have the guitarpart soloed, we want to change the Gain to 0, and then press Play. And I'llchange the Gain and we'll hear how that affects the sound. (Music playing.)Do you hear how muddy it got when I actually boosted the Gain? Now, when youare looking for the frequency that you want to adjust, try this technique, wecall it the boost and twist. So, you insert an EQ on a track, like we havehere, and you increase the Gain pretty significantly. We'll bring it all theway up to 14 dB. And now we'll make the Q really high so that it is a verynarrow band. And now what we do is play the track, and then sweep with theFrequency control to find a frequency that you want to boost or cut. (Music playing.)Let's say that I actually want to get rid of some of the nasally tone that'sright around this area at 761 Hz. So, now that I found that frequency, I canadjust the Gain, bring it down some. And then if I want to expand the width,I can either increase or decrease the Q. Let's hear what that sounds like. (Music playing.)It's a subtle change but noticeable and you will notice that I actually hit theBypass button here to AB it. That is, to listen to the track with the EQ andwithout the EQ. One thing we were also doing here is we are listing to thistrack in Solo. Now you don't want to just EQ while you are in Solo, you alsoneed to listen to the track with the rest of the tracks in the session.

You could make this track sound amazing by itself but it might not sound goodin the mix. So, don't EQ in a vacuum by keeping the track in Solo. Let's moveon to a common mixing practice called the carving EQ holes. For example, let'ssay we have this acoustic guitar track and a vocal track. Often it's a goodidea to cut out some of the mids of the guitar to allow the vocals to have moreroom in the frequency spectrum where they sound the best, like between 1-4 kHz.So, let's cut out 3 kHz from the guitar signal, I'm going to adjust theFrequency to about 3, decrease it a little, and kind of narrow it out. And Ineed to un-Bypass this track. And I'm actually going to take this part of theEQ out by clicking the In button and making that part inactive. So, now we havethis little bit EQ'd out of our guitar signal. So we are carving a little EQhole for the vocals to come in and shine through over the guitars in this area.

Now, another thing that we could do is actually boost some of the guitarFrequencies. Let's go up to around 6 kHz and add a little bit of shine to theguitar sound at that area. And this frequency range on the guitar is out of theway of the vocals. So it's another example of carving an EQ hole where we canactually boost the guitar to have it shine through a little bit more at thisfrequency. Let's hear what it sounds like. (Music playing.)It takes out some of the bite from the mids that would allow the vocals toshine through. Now be aware that any EQ setting that you change on a particularinstrument will affect not only its sound but how the sound of that instrumentinteracts with all of the other tracks in the mix. Now let's look at some ofthe more radical EQ effects that you can add to tracks in your Pro Tools session.

I am going to close this up and have a listen to the Bass track instead. First,we check out the Air Kill EQ. So we have got this track soloed, I'm going topress Play and add in some interesting effects that this EQ can do. (Music playing.)This plug-in is a 3-Band EQ with Kill switches on each band, right here. Withthis plug-in you can cut off the Lows, Mids, and Highs for some really cooleffects, like you just heard. Let's try another one. Related to the Kill EQ butwith some different parameters, this Vintage Filter is a resonant multi-modefilter that can be manually adjusted or modulated over time, using a built-inLFO or Low Frequency Oscillator. It also has an Envelope follower. Now watchwhat knobs I'm going to tweak with the mouse, and we'll hear the sonic outcomes. (Music playing.)You have got a lot of opportunity to get creative with this plug-in. So, nowyou know how to properly EQ a track utilizing the boost and twist method.

You can also sonically sculpt any track pretty radically with some of these EQplug-ins that are available in Pro Tools.

Learn by watching, listening, and doing, Exercise files are the same files the author uses in the course, so you can download them and follow along Premium memberships include access to all exercise files in the library.

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Learn by watching, listening, and doing! Exercise files are the same files the author uses in the course, so you can download them and follow along. Exercise files are available with all Premium memberships.
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